'Programmatically get the list of the ribbons using VSTO add-in

I have created a C# VSTO add-in with Visual Studio 2019 that receives commands from a socket connection and it can insert text, modify buttons only in my ribbon using office Interop.

I want to know two things.

  1. How can I get the name of all the ribbons (Home, Insert, Design, ....) programmatically?
  2. Initiate a mouse click (for example click Bold button in the Home tab) on any other ribbons than the one I created.

For the 2nd question, I want to use office add-in only, not by simulating keypress/mouse event.

c++sharpvisual-studiovstoprogrammatically


Solution 1:[1]

How can I get the name of all the ribbons (Home, Insert, Design, ....) programmatically?

There is no trivial way for getting this job done. You can try using Accessibility API. Microsoft Active Accessibility is a Component Object Model (COM)-based technology that improves the way accessibility aids work with applications running on Microsoft Windows. It provides dynamic-link libraries that are incorporated into the operating system as well as a COM interface and API elements that provide reliable methods for exposing information about UI elements.

Initiate a mouse click (for example click Bold button in the Home tab) on any other ribbons than the one I created.

You can use the CommandBars.ExecuteMso method which executes the control identified by the idMso parameter. This method is useful in cases where there is no object model for a particular command. Works on controls that are built-in buttons, toggleButtons, and splitButtons. On failure, it returns E_InvalidArg for an invalid idMso, and E_Fail for controls that are not enabled or not visible.

Application.CommandBars.ExecuteMso("Copy")

Solution 2:[2]

Accessibility API (as Eugene mentioned) is pretty much the only way to drive Outlook Ribbon and its controls. Keep in mind that since Microsoft has never documented the controls and their ids, they are subject to change between the versions.

If using Redemption (I am its author) is an option, it exposes SafeExplorer and SafeInspector objects that expose the ribbon and its controls using Accessibility and low level Windows API.

Redemption.SafeExplorer sExplorer = new Redemption.SafeExplorer();
sExplorer.Item = OutlookApplication.ActiveExplorer;
foreach (var tab in sExplorer.Ribbon.Tabs)
{
  MessageBox.Show(tab);
}

Sources

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Source: Stack Overflow

Solution Source
Solution 1 Eugene Astafiev
Solution 2

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